FinEd: Study Plans for Working Life

Background
The demographics of students entering university continues to change as national boarders disappear, immigration increases and individuals seek degrees during different stages of life. As a result, those entering university may possess hidden knowledge and skills obtained previously during formal studies or in relation to working life; however, it seems these competencies are not taken into account when developing study plans during the early days at university. The reasons seem to vary from student’s inability evaluate and project their current level of competence into that of their future profession, to a lack of simple, systematic structures available on university campuses that would facilitate the progression of studies for diverse student cohorts. (Ministry of Education 2018a) Therefore, through the creation of models and strategies that take into account previous studies and skills gained through working life experience when forming study plans and through the creation of type of “self-service” assessment portals, students can graduate faster allowing them to enter working life expeditiously instead of consuming time repeating what they already know. Indirectly, through this national initiative, cross-sectional networks and best practices are shared, strengthening the overall collaborative efforts of higher education throughout Finland and internationally. (Arcada 2018; Haaga-Helia 2018; Ministry of Education 2018b)